Perches extend full length of coop?

[Brucepierce]

DeannaOR...I love the chicken jail, great idea, I'll be adding a Stoney lonesome to my coop...thx

 

[bruceha2000]

As a related question, if I'm choosing heavy-bodied birds like buff bramas, do I need to keep their roost a little lower than for a lighter bird--thinking it might be a little harder for the more "full-figured girls" go hop on up to the higher roosts. Would about a foot off the floor of their poop board be too high for such heavy birds? (or too high, or way too low?)

My understanding is the birds want to be as high as they can get. I guess they feel safer high up in the "tree".

I have one roost at 2' and two at 4' parallel to the back wall. The lower (3" round fence rail) is 9" forward of the forward top roost (2x4 on the flat) which is 18" forward of the rear roost (another fence rail) which is 12" from the back wall. All the rails are 8' long, attached to the right side wall and are open on the left supported by a 2x4 narrow side up perpendicular to the back wall. There are also 2 plastic swimming pool ladder steps at 1 and 3 feet. I put them in since I didn't know if the little girls could get up 2 feet at a time.... and they were free

They don't use those any more. You will notice I made use of the existing side wall, thus the 4' height. Nothing scientific or heavily researched about the 4' height though that does seem to be somewhat common. I DID research the spacing between the wall and the rear roost and the rear roost to the front.



My girls are 20 weeks old today. The EEs and Australorps are the biggest. Every one can fly to the top of the 4' roost if they want because they can fly to the top of the 4' gate that is the end of their indoor run. I was surprised to find, being new to chickens, that a 4' fence keeps the chickens "in" for as long as THEY want to be "in". Generally they take the "easy" route to the top roosts though, using the 2' high roost as an intermediate step.

Every one roosts at the 4' level but they seem to have no set pattern on where or who sleeps next to who (or is that whom?). When they were little (went in at 4 weeks) they all sat on left side support and those that didn't fit between the roosts were on the roosts squished up against the others. After a time, they decided they wanted to be over on the right side next to the wall on both 4' roosts. Lots of squawking and flapping as the "top" girls walk over the others to get where they want to be. Then about half decided to be on one end, half on the other -3 birds per roost both ends. THEN on Friday, they were all lined up on the rear fence rail from end to end like they got all OCD about equal spacing or something. I have NO idea what chickens are thinking. Especially the EE that seems to think she should sleep on the wall in the next room over right by the forward roost. They put themselves to bed, we go in later to count beaks and shut their chicken door. We have had to move Andromeda 3 times.

If you didn't want to read all that, here is the executive summary:
No, the big girls will be happy up high and they will get there. Give them an intermediate step if you don't think they can make it in one jump and flap. I figure the exercise is good for them

Bruce

 

[bruceha2000]

If they all like corners, then couldn't you divide the length of the roost up with a divider board about every two feet?

I wouldn't. They will fly to an open space then walk along the roost to get where they want to be. If you put in dividers, they will have to fly directly to a space, especially hard if there is already a bird in one of the 2' spaces. Besides that, when it is cold they will want to be next to another warm body. The dividers would make that impossible.

 

[bruceha2000]

I would miss it to! I have two hens that I got as adults, I think the people that had them before trimmed their wings wrong because they have never grown back.

How long have you had them? I don't think you can permanently screw up the wing as long as you only cut feather. Wouldn't they grow back after moulting?

 

[canesisters]

Seems to me I've heard of something that will cause them to have permanently 'clipped' wings... somewhere way back in the dusty corners of my swiss-cheese memory.....

 

[scooter147]

Seems to me I've heard of something that will cause them to have permanently 'clipped' wings... somewhere way back in the dusty corners of my swiss-cheese memory.....

It's called "pinioning". When the chick is a day or two old they actually cut the portion of the wing off that produces the flight feathers. Not all that common. Some hatcheries offer the "service".
Many states require hatcheries to pinion such birds as swans, mallards, wild turkeys before they can be shipped.

As far as chickens wanting to roost in the corner or up against a wall I have a theory on that. My hens all want that prime spot too. I think it is a deep rooted instinctual desire. Almost all wild turkeys will roost up nest to the trunk of the tree. I guess it helps to protect one side from ambush.

 

[scooter147]

Forgot to add, love the chicken jail. Yes it will many uses in the coming years.

 

[bruceha2000]

It's called "pinioning". When the chick is a day or two old they actually cut the portion of the wing off that produces the flight feathers. Not all that common. Some hatcheries offer the "service".

 

[Going Quackers]

Mine extends the entire width of the coop, i only have the one a 2x4(or 6? always forget lol) I only have 4.. they seem to like to start at the end and then smoosh along beside one another for night time roosting.

Mine does not come off either, i clean the coop and roost daily, take me under 5mins to do so.

 

[Roxannemc]

As a related question, if I'm choosing heavy-bodied birds like buff bramas, do I need to keep their roost a little lower than for a lighter bird--thinking it might be a little harder for the more "full-figured girls" go hop on up to the higher roosts. Would about a foot off the floor of their poop board be too high for such heavy birds? (or too high, or way too low?)

my Light Brahmas fly/ jump 3 feet up to the coop door